The former England skipper went on trial at Westminster Magistrates Court accused of a racially aggravated public order offence following an incident during a Premiership match between Chelsea and QPR at Loftus Road on October 23 last year.

Duncan Penny, prosecuting told the court Terry had directed racially offensive language towards his opponent after the pair clashed in the 85th minute of the West London derby.

He claimed Terry had reacted after Ferdinand taunted him over well-publicised claims that he had conducted an affair with former team-mate Wayne Bridge’s partner.

Terry, 31, is accused of calling Ferdinand a “f****** black c***” in front of a television audience of 2 million people.

He has denied the allegations and claims he used the phrase in an ironic way after believing Mr Ferdinand had accused him of making a racist remark on the pitch.

Outlining his case at the start of a five day trial, Mr Penny said: “The Crown alleges that the defendant, most probably in response to physical gestures being made by Mr Ferdinand which the defendant understood to refer to the well publicised allegation of an extra-marital affair with a team-mate’s wife, shouted at Mr Ferdinand.

Mr Penny said Terry’s case would be, that the words had been used by way of “sarcastic exclamation” or as an enquiry in relation to a perceived accusation of racism by Mr Ferdinand.

But he said the Crown would seek to prove that the words were abusive and insulting in a much for straightforward sense.

Mr Penny told the court: “The Crown’s case is that far from being exclamatory irony, or a form of exaggerated sarcasm, the truth about the defendant’s conduct is very much simpler.

“Putting it another way, The Crown’s case is that words were abusive and insulting in a straightforward sense and that the term ‘f****** black c***’ was uttered as an abusive insult demonstrating hostility based on Mr Ferdinand’s membership of a racial group.

“They were uttered by the defendant in response to goading by Mr Ferdinand on the issue of his extra-marital affair, rather than by way of exaggerated and instant querying of a perceived false allegation.”

John Terry arrives at court

The court was told that Ferdinand had not heard the comments on the pitch and only learned of the alleged abuse when his girlfriend showed him footage from the YouTube website when they met in the players’ lounge after the game.

Mr Ferdinand said when he had realised what had been said on the pitch he had found it very “hurtful”.

Mr Ferdinand admitted that had he heard the remarks on the pitch there may have been an “altercation”, but instead he had discussed the matter with Terry in the dressing room after the game and had even shook hands.

He told the court: “When someone calls you a c***, that is one thing but when they bring your colour into it, it takes it to another level and it’s very hurtful.”

The public gallery of Court 1 at Westminster Magistrates court was packed and among those who attended the hearing was Doreen Lawrence the mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence.